James Yap arrives at the airport on Saturday morning from Bacolod. (MJ Marfori/InterAksyon)

James Yap cut short his weekend trip to his hometown of Escalante in Bacolod and returned to Manila Saturday morning, hoping to meet his son Bimby.

The basketball star said it was his early Father’s Day wish to reunite with Bimby this weekend after a Makati court denied earlier this week a petition by his ex-wife Kris Aquino for a permanent protection order against him with regards to Bimby.

The courted granted the PPO Kris had sought against James for her own benefit.

James said he wished to see Bimby immediately because he had heard that Kris and Bimby are set to leave for another overseas trip with her elder son Joshua, after their recent two-week holiday in Europe.

He met with his lawyers led by Atty. Lorna Kapunan on Saturday to find a way for him to meet his son this weekend. He said he is also prepared to postpone his own European trip with his Italian girlfriend next week if the reunion with Bimby were to take place then.

James said he expects to face some difficulty from Kris’ camp, but he was really just excited to see his son again.

James last visited Bimby in December when his alleged “overt sexual advances” to Kris happened, prompting her to file the PPO case in February.

Last month, the judge brought father and son together in court for eight minutes, a bonding moment that convinced the social worker and the child psychologist that James did not deserve to be barred from seeing Bimby.